Edwin Vigil

VIGIL
Father Edwin Vigil, may he rest in the arms of the Lord.

The Rev. Edwin Vigil, 32, a Catholic priest most describe in terms of his smile and his great love for his priesthood, died while swimming Sunday, February 27, near his village home in San Diego en el estado La Libertad, El Salvador. Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, spoke about Father Vigil with words of thanksgiving and sadness.

"Father Vigil served generously the people of the archdiocese. God, our Father, in his goodness and providential care has called Father Vigil to himself. Those he served saw in him God's goodness and faithfulness. We will miss him." Msgr. Mike Boulette, pastor of Father Vigil's home parish, Notre Dame in Kerrville, was also his spiritual guide on his journey to the priesthood. He saw in him a young man who had no confusion or of conflict in his values. He said, "Father Edwin's heart belonged to God, and both his personal family and his church family celebrate today that this wise man lived out Christ's words by acting on them faithfully, building his life on the Rock that is Jesus Christ."

"He truly loved who he was as a priest," said Father Tony Vilano, the Archdiocese of San Antonio's Vicar for Priests. "He touched a lot of lives in the communities he served and we will miss him."
Father Moses of Jesus Pillari, a classmate of Father Vigil's at the Assumption Seminary, describing his positive personality, said, "At the seminary he was always smiling and laughing, no matter what the situation."

Father Vigil was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop José H. Gomez on June 2, 2007, at San Fernando Cathedral. In less than four years, Father Vigil left an indelible mark on the lives of the people who populated his priestly dream. They were struck by his gentle spirit and personal honesty. They saw in him his love for God and great respect for the elderly, making sick calls, taking them communion and anointing the dying. Parishioners at Holy Spirit Parish in San Antonio remembered him for his love for the couples he prepared for married life. Father Carlos Velásquez, pastor, remembered how "the couples he guided through the process were always impressed with his humility and life-giving advice."

Father Vigil graduated from Kerrville Tivy High School in 1997. It was shortly thereafter he "felt" called to the priesthood and met with Father Vilano. That encounter started a conversation and friendship that led him closer to his vocation. Father Vilano recalls this determined young man saying, "Well, I am ready to enter into the seminary. Let's go!" That began nine years of formation. A long time for a young man who appeared to be in a hurry to encounter God. He studied at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary and the College of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and St. John's Seminary College, in Camarillo, Calif. He earned his undergraduate degrees in English, philosophy and a minor in psychology. Father Vigil completed his studies at Assumption Seminary and earned his master's degree in Divinity from San Antonio's Oblate School of Theology.
Father Arturo Cepeda, rector of Assumption Seminary, addressed the current class of seminarians about Father Vigil's death, reminded them, "Father Vigil spent more time preparing in his formation for the priesthood than he did in active ministry. During those years of formation he did minister to all of us with his openness to the Spirit, his joyful spirit, and his genuine desire to help others."

In an interview published in the Kerrville Daily Times in 2007, Father Vigil recognized the need for his long and challenging preparation for the priesthood. He said, "The priestly identity is holistic. It involves the whole human person, psychologically, spiritually and physically.They are key to deciding whether a person is called to a ministry as a priest." He told reporter Carlina Villalpando that those years were pivotal in his discerning his vocation. He said, "I've seen a lot in the last 10 years. I've spent countless hours praying, learning about people, and trying to understand the faith. It's all made me a better person."

Father Vigil is survived by his parents, Jose Leonel and Coralia Vigil, his brother, Isaac, his sister Rosa and his grandmother, Marta Esperanza Villegas de Hernandez. He loved his family and grew in appreciation for the sacrifices his parents made. After his ordination, every Wednesday he spent his time at his parents' home in Kerrville, just being a son, a grandson, and a brother.

Father Vigil ministered at St. Mary's in Fredericksburg, Holy Spirit in San Antonio, and for the past eight months at his final assignment, St. John the Evangelist Parish in San Antonio. Father Martin Leopold, the pastor at St. Johns, spoke of Fr. Vigil's dedication, "Father Edwin's selfless and enthusiastic presence at St. John's blessed us all with Christ's joy and love. I lost a good friend and our parish lost a great priest."

Reflecting on the untimely loss of this kind, young man of faith, we can discover our hope in the words Fr. Vigil himself spoke when describing the nature of the gift we are given when we live in God's will, "I am at peace; I'm happy, joyful and excited."

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 10 at 5 PM at St. John the Evangelist Church, 4603 St. John's Way, San Antonio. The Vigil will follow at 6 PM. There will be another Vigil held at 9 PM Thursday evening at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 909 Main St., Kerrville, TX. The Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at 10 AM, Friday, March 11 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville. The Principle Celebrant will be Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller.

The family has requested that donations be made to Notre Dame Church in memory of Father Vigil in lieu of flowers.